Do you know what is currently in your fridge? Or freezer? Don’t feel bad if the answer to any of these questions is no. Between work, personal life, and trying to balance a social life keeping the fridge clean can be challenging! We know that cleaning and organizing the kitchen can be a daunting task. From rearranging appliances, to alphabetizing spices, and even cleaning behind the fridge – it can sometimes be difficult to imagine an organized kitchen. The key to tackling a major kitchen project is to start small and focus on one area at a time. Starting with the biggest appliance will be quick and easy. Check out our list of helpful hints to assist you in saving money, space, and time. 

Step 1. First up, remove everything from the fridge. Get your trash bag ready and physically check every items be fore placing it to the side. You never know when something may have been left open or even expired. Toss everything unusable, expired, or old. Then, place all of the usable items into a designated area on the counter. 

Step 2. Clean! Before continuing, it is important to thoroughly clean the inside of the fridge. Use a multipurpose cleaner, and make sure all debris has been removed. Once you’ve completed that, wipe down all of the food containers, and anything else that may still be lingering to ensure there is no gunk remaining. Adding liners to your shelves may help reduce the time spent cleaning next round. 

Step 3. Organize away. As you prepare to place items back in the fridge, it is important to consider functionality. You want to be sure you place your most used items, or items that will spoil quickly are in the from where they are easily accessible. Clear organization systems are inexpensive and easy to implement. Stackable sets can assist with organizing fruits and vegetables, as well as bagged items.

Step 4. Make a habit of going through your fridge regularly and identifying items that can be tossed, used up quickly, or frozen for later. Clear containers with labels make locating frozen items easy.